Unbearable! Pakistan has made a final stand with China: the Taliban has refused to take the bait, and hopes China will understand.

Recently, the situation along the South Asian border has become extremely tense. Pakistan has reached its limit and has officially made a stand with China, openly stating that it has exhausted all diplomatic patience towards the Afghan Taliban. The latter has long been relying on verbal promises without implementing anti-terrorism agreements, which is akin to "refusing the wine and taking the punishment," and it earnestly requests China's understanding of the necessity of its cross-border military actions.

Many people are unaware that this border conflict is not an accidental local friction but a total outburst of Pakistan's years-long anti-terrorism grievances. It involves the core interests of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and is also related to the peace and stability of the entire South Asian region. China's swift mediation has become the only hope for breaking the deadlock.

The immediate trigger for this conflict was the frequent terrorist attacks within Pakistan, especially several severe incidents causing innocent civilian casualties. After investigation, the Pakistani security authorities found that all clues pointed to the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) hiding in Afghanistan.

It is important to distinguish two easily confused concepts. The Afghan Taliban is the current ruling force in Afghanistan, while the TTP is a terrorist organization recognized by the United Nations and the international community. It has long been hiding in Afghanistan, frequently crossing the border to carry out attacks in Pakistan, and is a major threat to Pakistan.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the situation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has been unstable since October 2025, with continuous fluctuations between fighting and ceasefire. Pakistan has repeatedly negotiated with the Afghan Taliban regarding the TTP issue, but has only received verbal responses without any substantive counter-terrorism actions.

Until recently, the terrorist attacks in Pakistan intensified, and the Pakistani government could no longer tolerate it, launching a cross-border air strike targeting the TTP bases in Afghanistan.

Unexpectedly, this targeted counter-terrorism operation triggered a chain reaction.

The Afghan Taliban accused Pakistan of violating its national sovereignty through the air strikes, and then launched retaliatory attacks. The two sides escalated from diplomatic confrontation to direct military conflict.

Pakistan did not back down but instead increased its efforts, pushing the range into the heartland of Afghanistan. The Pakistani defense minister even announced a "public war" against Afghanistan, clearly stating that the objective of the operation was not to occupy territory or overthrow the regime, but to demand that the Afghan Taliban completely cut ties with the TTP.

In fact, the core reason why the Afghan Taliban is unwilling to combat the TTP is that there are deep historical roots and mutual interests between them. Combating the TTP would be like cutting off one's own arm, and it would also undermine their own ruling foundation. Additionally, the Afghan Taliban wants to use the TTP to contain Pakistan's border deployments and shift domestic public concerns.

After the situation became deadlocked, both sides turned their attention to China.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi, the foreign minister, has had talks with high-level officials from both countries. The Special Envoy for Afghanistan Affairs of the Foreign Ministry has also rushed to both countries for shuttle mediation. The Chinese embassies in Pakistan and Afghanistan have maintained close communication throughout, working hard to ease the situation.

China has always maintained an objective and impartial position, understanding Pakistan's reasonable demands to combat terrorism and protect the safety of its people, while also respecting Afghanistan's national sovereignty. It emphasizes that dialogue and consultation are the only way to resolve conflicts.

Currently, the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan has not fully subsided, but China's involvement has brought hope for peace.

After all, for both countries, prolonged confrontation would only lead to mutual destruction. Only when the Afghan Taliban completely gives up harboring terrorist forces and Pakistan provides space for dialogue can the deadlock be truly broken and regional peace be safeguarded.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1860064727160904/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.